Lee Smith escaped a suspension and is expected to start against St Helens in the Super League Grand Final. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images

Lee Smith could have been reduced to watching tomorrow's Super League Grand Final from a seat in the Old Trafford stands. Instead, the Leeds winger is relishing the chance to take on St Helens and is hoping to collect a second successive winners' ring.

The 22-year-old faced the Rugby Football League's disciplinary panel on Tuesday after kicking out at Wigan's Phil Bailey during last Friday night's final eliminator. Despite being found guilty of the offence and fined, he escaped without a suspension. That cleared him to return to Old Trafford 12 months after he scored one of the tries in Leeds' 33-6 demolition of St Helens in last season's Grand Final.

Smith cut a nervous figure at the start of the week. He was well aware that a similar scenario on the other side of the world had led to the Melbourne Storm's captain and playmaker, Cameron Smith, being given a two-match ban after he was found guilty of committing the notorious "grapple tackle". He will miss Sunday's NRL Grand Final against Manly.

"That was a little bit in the back of my mind," Smith said. "Someone told me about it early in the week, and that's credit to the disciplinary [panel] and shows they're not scared of doing it to people before a Grand Final. But I didn't think my offence deserved a ban. The fine [£300], I'll just cop that and get on with it. It has been a nervous week, but to get the go-ahead is brilliant. I went to the hearing with Brian [McClennan, the Leeds coach], and we put a good case forward. Luckily we got off."

Smith, who was making his first appearance before a disciplinary panel, was found guilty of reckless kicking out in the ninth minute of the hard-fought 18-14 win over Wigan. "I didn't see Phil underneath me," he explained. "I kicked out to try and get a quick play-the-ball and caught him in the head. There was obviously no intention there to do it, and that's how they [the disciplinary panel] have seen it."

Smith did not let the matter overshadow his performance on the night as he scored two crucial tries, the second an opportunist effort when he picked up a loose ball for a score in the corner that virtually sealed the Rhinos' win. He should now be able to end what has often been a stop-start season on a personal high, after contesting his starting place with Ryan Hall for much of the campaign.

"I was a bit in and out at the start of the season, and to be honest that was down to me and my performances," Smith said. "They weren't up to scratch - Brian looked at that and dropped me. But it's helped, in a way. I got the bit between my teeth and thought 'Listen, I need to kick on now' - and I think I've done that. I sit down with Brian nearly every week and look at my game. There's always stuff to improve on. The season has had its ups and downs, but I've finished off pretty well so I'm happy with that. But nothing would go better than to win a Grand Final."

Smith's late-season run of form is likely to make him a contender for a place in the England squad for the World Cup which gets under way in Australia at the end of this month, especially given the withdrawal of Hull's Gareth Raynor and Smith's ability to cover the full-back position. He represented England four times in 2006, while Great Britain were contesting the Tri-Nations, scoring twice, but says now that any possibility of further international recognition is a long way from his thoughts.

"If we don't focus just on Saturday, then Saints will take us to the cleaners like they did a few weeks ago," Smith said. "We're just concentrating on that, and whatever happens after that, we'll just wait and see."

The 38-10 qualifying semi-final defeat at Knowsley Road a fortnight ago has barely been mentioned in the Rhinos camp this week, though there is a definite realisation that they must improve considerably if they are to become the first Leeds team to retain a top-flight title.

"We haven't spoken much about that," Smith said. "To be honest, Saints were brilliant on that day, and we were pretty much awful. They gave us a good hiding, but it's something that might work in our favour. I don't think it'll happen this week."